This invention relates to fabrics, and also to methods of forming fabrics, with opposite surfaces having contrasting, i.e., different, colors and/or raised or fleece surface regions(s) of different contour.
It is known to provide a composite fabric article having opposite surfaces of contrasting colors by joining together, in face-to-face arrangement, e.g., by laminating or stitching, two separately formed fabrics of different colors.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a first surface and an opposite, second surface, one surface being of a color A and the other surface being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: forming a fabric prebody having first surface and an opposite, second surface; dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing at least one of the first and the opposite, second surface to form a raised or fleece surface region; removing dye of color A from the raised or fleece surface region of one surface; and re-dyeing the raised or fleece surface region of one surface color B.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a first surface and an opposite, second surface, one surface being of a color A and the other surface being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: forming a fabric prebody having first surface and an opposite, second surface; dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing at least one of the first surface and the opposite, second surface to form a raised or fleece surface region; and over-dyeing the raised or fleece surface region of one surface color B.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a fabric has a body with a first surface and an opposite, second surface, at least one of the first surface and the second surface having a raised or fleece region, and one surface being of a color A and the other surface being of a color B contrasting to color A.
According to one embodiment of another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric having at least one raised or fleece surface region on at least one surface bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, raising or fleecing the technical face; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical back of the fabric prebody to form a fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by the resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; and tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump the raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) printed with the resist material.
According to another embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric having at least one raised or fleece region on one or both surfaces, bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, printing at least one selected region of the technical face and/or the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical face and the technical back of the fabric prebody to form a fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical face and/or the technical back of the fabric body by the resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; and tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) printed with resist material.
In preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the method comprises the further step of printing at least one of the technical face and the technical back of the fabric prebody, and preferably printing both the technical face and the technical back, with one or more additional colors using subsequent print screens in series.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a fabric has at least one raised or fleece region bordered by a resist region not raised or fleece, to the effect that the design elements of the bordered raised or fleece region stands out in relief.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a technical face with a raised or fleece surface region, and a technical back with at least one raised or fleece surface region bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, one of the technical face and the technical back being of a color A and the other of the technical face and the technical back being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing the technical face to form a raised or fleece surface region; removing dye of color A from the raised or fleece surface region of the technical face; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical back of the fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material; and over-dyeing the raised or fleece surface region of the technical face color B.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a technical face with a raised or fleece surface region, and a technical back with at least one raised or fleece surface region bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, one of the technical face and the technical back being of a color A and the other of the technical face and the technical back being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing the technical face to form a raised or fleece surface region; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical back of the fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material; and over-dyeing the raised or fleece surface region of the technical face color B.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a technical face with a raised or fleece surface region, and a technical back with at least one raised or fleece surface region bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, one of the technical face and the technical back being of a color A and the other of the technical face and the technical back being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, dyeing a fabric prebody color A; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical face and the technical back of the fabric prebody to form a fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material; and over-dyeing at least one raised or fleece surface region of the technical face and the technical back color B.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The step of over-dyeing comprises over-dyeing the raised or fleece surface region of the technical face color B, or the step of over-dyeing comprises over-dyeing at least one raised or fleece surface region of the technical back, or the step of over-dyeing comprises over-dyeing at least one raised or fleece surface region of the technical face and over-dyeing at least one raised or fleece surface region of the technical back.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a technical face with a raised or fleece surface region, and a technical back with at least one raised or fleece surface region bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, one of the technical face and the technical back being of a color A and the other of the technical face and the technical back being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing the technical face to form a raised or fleece surface region; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical back of the fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material; and over-dyeing at least one region raised or fleece surface region of the technical back color B.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the step of over-dyeing comprises applying a pattern of regions of color B to the technical back contrasting to regions of color A on the technical back.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a fabric body having a technical face with a raised or fleece surface region, and a technical back with at least one raised or fleece surface region bordered by a surface region not raised or fleece, one of the technical face and the technical back being of a color A and the other of the technical face and the technical back being of a color B contrasting to color A, comprises the steps of: on a standard terry, reverse circular knit fabric prebody having a technical face and a technical back, dyeing the fabric prebody color A; transforming the fabric prebody into a fabric body by finishing the technical face to form a raised or fleece surface region; printing at least one selected region of the technical back with a resist material; after aging and washing, raising or fleecing, and then shearing, the technical back of the fabric body, with fibers in the selected region(s) printed with resist material matted or held against the technical back of the fabric body by resist material, thus limiting raising or fleecing; tumbling the fabric body to gather or clump raised or fleece fibers away from the selected region(s) of the technical back printed with resist material; and over-dyeing at least one raised or fleece surface region of technical back color B.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the step of over-dyeing comprises applying a pattern of regions of color B to the technical back.
Objectives of the invention include providing a fabric, e.g., a knit fabric, having a first surface and an opposite, second surface of a contrasting, i.e., different, color. Preferably, both surfaces of the fabric are subjected to a fabric finishing process, e.g., both surfaces of the fabric body may be napped, brushed, sanded, etc., to form fleece, and then sheared. The raised or fleece regions of one or both surfaces of the fabric may be bordered by resist regions that are not raised, to the effect that the design elements of the raised or fleece regions stand out in relief.